Refrigerant coil



July 4,1939. E, w, KRETSCHMER 2,164,656

REFRIGERANT COIL Filed Jan. 26, 1939 f www J the prior types of refrigerant coils. As a result,

there is greater efficiency of operation of the refrigerating apparatus and the various advantages just pointed out will become obvious as the de- 5 scription of my invention proceeds.

My refrigerant coil R, comprises a single tube of copper or suitable material having portions wound in at least three planes. These planes are preferably vertical and are indicated' in Figlire 2 as PI, P2 and P3. The planes Pi and P2 are adjacent opposite sides of the tank T, while the plane P3 is intermediate the planes Pi and P2. It is illustrated as being adjacent the center of the tank. In the plane Pi the refrigerant coil R has four runs of tubing indicated as i, la, ib and ic. Likewise the tubing in planes P2 and P3 have runs of tubing indicated at 2, 2a,2b, 2c and `3, 3a, 3b, 3c respectively.

Referring to Figures l and 3, the refrigerant coil orthe tubing forming it has a pair of terminal ends i6 and I8. Either of these may be the inlet for the refrigerant, while the other is the outlet therefor. The tubing is wound to fall in the three planes Pi, P2 and P3, crossing from one plane to the other at the ends of the* tank T as indicated at 20. The coil is wound preferably in the following order of rotation: i, 2, 3, 2a, la, 3a, A

lb, 2b, 3b, 2c, Ic and 3c. This provides a substantially uniform flow of refrigerant from top to bottom or from bottom to top of the refrigerant coil.

Assuming the refrigerant to flow downwardly, it will flow first along one side of the tank through the run 2, then through the center of the tank through run 3, then along the other side of the tank through run 2a, then along the first side of the tank through the run ia, then throughv the center of the tank through .the run 3a, after which it returns to the first side of the tank'and passes through run ib and the cycle of passage is then repeated as many times as necessary to build up a coil of the desired height. This obviousiy willgive maximum uniformity of flow of refrigerant through the water W in the tank T withut the necessity of providing any manifolds or soldered joints under the surface of the water. By having the runs 3, 3a, 3h and 3c of the tubing brought through the area or field of location of normal inefciency, I am able with my coil to cool the center of the tank to the same degree as the sides thereof. This arrangement provides two spaces in which two rows of bottles B and B may be placed. There will be substantially equal distance from opposite sides of the bottle B to the planes P2 and P3 instead of one side of the bottle becoming chilled excessively or frozen whilev the other side remains too warm as where prior.V types of coils are used. As illustrated in Figure 6 there will be a circulation of water bew tween the refrigerant coil R and the bottle B as indicated by the arrows A as distinguished from the prior types of construction in which there is water circulation adjacent the walls only of the tank.

In my arrangement there is circulation along opposite sides of the bottle and this circulation extends to the spaces indicated at b (see Figure 2) between the bottles, thus substantially evenly cooling the entire contents of the bottles. As shown in Figure 4, my coil arrangement can be somewhat modified for containing a plurality of rows of bottles between the center and side runs of the coil. The cooling eihciency is not as great in this type of arrangement, but it does have the l advantage of substantially increasing the emciency of coolers in which four or more rows of bottles are placed, as the center runs of the refrigerant coil cools the center rows of bottles which are otherwise in an area where cooling is substantially less than desired.

I have illustrated in Figure 5 how my refrigerant coil can be used in a dry compartment type of cooler. A dry tank DT is illustrated in which the refrigerant coil R is arranged, the coil being of suitable size to receive between the intermediate and side wall. runs thereof containers 22 of bulk ice cream or packages 24 of ice cream or other commodities to be cooled.

I have illustrated in Figure 7, the cooling of containers 26 of bulk ice cream or the like in a manner even more uniform by having intermediate portions of the refrigerant coil arranged in general planes P4 and P5 between the individual containers so that each container is surrounded by successive portions of the refrigerant coil substantially equally spaced from the walls of the containers.

My refrigerant coil prevents the water in a bottled beverage cooler or the air in a dry compartment cooler from taking a course resulting in a dead area or one of no circulation and which accordingly would have a higher temperature than adjacent the coil where thermally induced circulation takes place. My arrangement has the further advantage of not taxing the refrigerating unit to its full capacity, thus economlzing on power consumption and minimizing operation of the compressor unit.

The coil is so arranged that no one portion of the box receives the benefit of inilowing refrigerant to the detriment of ,another portion which would be subject to a higher temperature because of being adjacent the outgoing end of the refrigerant tubing. By winding the tubing so that it follows one side of the box, then the other, then an intermediate portion of the box, etc., all portions of the box in any horizontal plane are substantially uniformly cooled. 'Ihere will be a slight difference in temperatures of portions in the vertical plane but what slight circulation is induced byrise of the water or air adjacent the relatively warm commodities and down flow of the water or air adjacent the refrigerant coil as in Figure 6 will remove any temperature dit ferences as might result therefrom.

Some changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of the parts of my refrigerant coil without departing from the real spirit and purpose of my invention. I therefore intend to cover by my claims any modified forms of structure or use of mechanical equivalents which may be reasonably included within their scope.

I claim as my invention:

i. In a refrigerant coil of the character disf closed, a single tube wound to provide spaced rows of tubing between which containers of commodities to be cooled may be placed, said tube being so arranged as to conduct cooling medium along one row, from said one row to a second row, along said second row, then to a third row intermediate the first and second rows, along said third row, then to and along the second row, then to and along the first row and then to and along the third row, said tube'being so arranged that spaces are left between the first and third row and between the second and third row for reception of containers, the contents of which are to be cooled by the refrigerant coil.

2. In a refrigerant coil of the character dis- 'awww closed, a single tube wound to provide spaced portions arranged in three vertical planes between which containers of commodities to be cooled may be placed with substantially equal distance for heat travel from said containers to said tube portions, said tube being -so arranged as to con-- duct cooling medium from one of said planes to a second one of said planes, then to the third plane, said third plane being intermediate the first and second planes, then to the second plane,

then to the rst plane and then to the third l plane, said tube being so arranged that spaces are left between the rst and third planes and between the second and third planes for rows of containers of commodities to' be cooled by the refrigerant coil.

3. In a device for cooling commodities comprising a tank and a single continuous coil for refrigerant in said tank, said coil characterized by being so arranged as to conduct cooling medium successively in paths along one side of said tank, the other side of said tank, the center of said tank, said other side of said tank, said iirst side of said tank and the center of said tank and then to conduct the cooling medium in paths parallel to and vertically spaced from the foregoing paths.

EMIL WILLIAM KRETSCHMER. 

